Deputy President William Ruto on Monday snubbed the Covid-19 conference, a function that was presided over by President Uhuru Kenyatta at KICC.
The President officially opened the conference and was scheduled to deliver a state address on the Covid-19 situation in the country.
The official programme indicated that Ruto was expected to speak after former Prime Minister Raila Odinga and was to welcome Uhuru to issue his speech.
State house spokesperson Kanze Dena confirmed that Ruto was invited to the conference but was a no-show when it commenced at around 2 p.m.
Now Politicians allied to the President and Raila want Ruto to follow the footsteps of the country’s first Vice President Jaramogi Oginga Odinga and resign.
In 1966, Jaramogi resigned from government accusing President Jomo Kenyatta of sidelining him and failing to recognise him as his assistant on state matters.
They say his prolonged stay will undermine the authority of President Uhuru Kenyatta.
They are daring Ruto to be bold enough and quit over “insubordination,” urging his deliberate decisions to skip key state events amounts to absconding duty as the President’s principal assistant mandated under the Constitution to deputise the head of state.
Led by Kieni MP Kanini Kega, the MP warned Ruto to put national interest first while Ruto allies wonder why the same politicians had been quiet when Ruto was left out of key government meetings in the past.
Kega, who is also the National budget and appropriation committee chair, stated that the DP should be penalised for neglecting his duties.
“There is absolutely no reason why the deputy president would skip a state event, so we want to tell him, we cannot be appropriating funds to your office yet you are not ready to discharge the responsibilities that have been given to you by the constitution of assisting and deputizing the president,” Kega stated.
Jubilee vice chairperson David Murathe interpreted Ruto’s absence to mean that he did not care about the party’s well-being.
National Assembly Security Committee chairperson and Kiambaa MP Paul Koinange warned Ruto to put national interest first.
“The country should always come first. My plea to the DP is simple. If you fundamentally disagree with government policies, just ship out,” Koinange said.
Kitutu Chache South MP Richard Onyonka said if the DP was invited and failed to attend, then the matter amounted to “high-level insubordination.”
“It is clear the marriage is irreversibly broken down. The DP must decide whether he will walk out or stay on with the situation likely to deteriorate and become cantankerous,” Onyonka said.
Nominated MP Geoffrey Osotsi said it was crystal clear that the DP had irreconcilably fallen out with his boss.
“The boldest action he can take is to resign as DP and give the President the space to work with whoever he wants to work with,” the MP said.
Kasipul MP Ong’ondo Were said the Covid-19 conference was a crucial meeting which DP Ruto ought to have attended.
“Since the President cannot sack him because he’s protected by the Constitution, the honourable thing he can do is to resign. DP Ruto has red carded himself by failure to heed his boss’s directives,” he said.
Homa Bay Woman Representative Gladys Wanga said it was evident that Ruto’s heart was no longer in government.
“The DP sends his troops to continuously delegitimise government programmes like the Huduma Namba,” she said.
Mathioya MP Peter Kimari said Ruto should explain to his boss why he is not attending state events if he had been invited.
However, Kikuyu MP Kimani Ichungwa warned Kega against plans to reduce part of the budget allocated to the DP.
“Did I hear Kieni, MP, say he can choose not to appropriate money to the office of the DP? I dare you to try it,” Ichungwa stated.
Gatundu South MP Moses Kuria, a Ruto ally, rubbished Kega’s sentiments questioning why the same politicians had been quiet when Ruto was left out of key government meetings in the past.
Kiharu MP Ndindi Nyoro, insisted that the DP had not been invited to the Covid-19 conference.
Nyoro alleged a plot by political mandarins whom he said deliberately sidelined the DP from state events but place his chair next to the President’s to show that he skips functions.
“That’s exactly what they did when senators were invited to State House. They put a chair with his name next to the President’s to show Kenyans that he is the one who failed to attend yet he had not been informed,” he claimed.
Kapseret MP Oscar Sudi, sent out a sarcastic tweet which appeared to confirm that the DP’s no-show could have been designed.
“If William Ruto had made a mistake of attending the Covid millionaires’ conference, I would have grabbed the mantle and vied for the presidency. (Hatutaki ubumbafu),” Sudi said.
RUTO MISSING IN ACTION
On April 9, the DP addressed the Covid-19 pandemic from his Karen residence, a move that sparked a political storm after senior government officials kept off the brief.
Since then, he has stayed away from the President’s national addresses on the pandemic while his participation in the National Security Council has been doubtful.
In July, Ruto skipped a virtual meeting the President held with all CSs, PSs and CASs.
He was also out of action on September 15 when Uhuru and Raila hosted the Senate leadership at State House over the revenue-sharing formula stalemate.
The last time Uhuru shared a podium with his deputy was on September 10 during a brief Cabinet meeting in State House before he flew out for rallies in Kisii.